Message #46144

[gee4]

I'll try and keep this short ....

I temped initially for almost 2 yrs after I left college before I got my first perm job.  Once you're there it is much easer to move on.  Within 2 years I moved and after 5 years in that job I left and went to England (am from N. Ireland) to gain more experience.  I worked for a software company as PA to the director and got the job after only 3 months of temping.  However I got made redundant and moved back to N Ireland after 2 years.  My experience helped me get jobs in a number of IT/telecoms companies namely, Nortel, Meridio, and now I work as PA to the Client Director, Hewlett Packard on a 5 year managed service contract.

Within the last 2 years I added to my qualifications by completing disciplines in the MS Office suite (previously mentioned in another posting) and am now back at the same level jobwise when I first got made redundant.  It has been hard in between as temp rates do not increase that much and you do get stuck with some pretty mundane jobs.  However as I always say, good things come to those who wait and it certainly happened for me and it will for you too.

Be patient - I know it's difficult - but try and decide where it is you want to go and use your experience and skills to date to improve on that.  Leaving the education sector behind and moving into IT was a great step for me but because I fell into it, I gained the experience to use that and at the same time add to my CV to help me get interviews and jobs with the right companies.

When applying for jobs state that you really want stability and are only contracting in the interim to gain experience until you find the right job.  Highlight your main attributes even though you may not be carrying them out in your current role.  I usually preferred long-term temp jobs which meant it looked better on my CV and showed I stayed in the posts and was not moving all the time.  

Remember some employers think we like temping - it is not always the case.  I always made sure that any company I temped for knew I had been made redundant and that it was not my choice to temp.  Push the agencies cos they will use you for long periods.  Keep asking what perm jobs they have - I was always on the phone or emailing them and believe me at times I was registered with about 10 agencies hoping to find perm work.

Mid March is not that long - try 2 years of temping.  All I can say is use the time wisely - ask for more responsibility or add to your qualifications.  It shows that you didn't just sit back and wait for it all to come to you.

Hope this helps!

G